person who's heart has stopped, to die.
             The most common form of euthanasia is to give the patient large doses of morphine to control pain in spite of the likelihood that the pain-killer will suppress respiration and cause death earlier than it would otherwise have happened. The doses of pain-killers have a dual effect of relieving pain and hastening death. At this time, administering such medication is considered ethical in most medical societies.
             The procedures are performed on patients that are terminally, suffering people so that natural death will occur sooner. It is also done on people who remain in a persistent vegetative state such as people suffering from brain damage or in a comma from which they cannot possibly regain consciousness. Although clearly a form of euthanasia, most people do not consider it exactly that. The term euthanasia seems too strong of a word for this type of medical practice.
             The second form of euthanasia is ACTIVE EUTHANASIA: This involves causing the death of a person through direct action, in response to a request from that person. This type of euthanasia is the one most people commonly refer to because this type has had the most media coverage during the 1990's.
             It was in 1998 that a Michigan Physician, Dr. Jack Kevorkian assisted in the death of a patient who was suffering from ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). The patient was concerned that the advancing disease would cause him to die a horrible death in the near future. This subject wanted a quick and painless death on his terms. The doctor injected him with controlled substances and that person died as a result.
             The state of Michigan had a law that did not allow assisted suicide and Dr. Kevorkian was charged with 1st degree intentional homicide. After a very lengthy public trial carried by most major news channels, the jury found him guilty of 2nd degree murder and sent him to prison. The publicity from this...